John Zeratsky
American designer and author; co-wrote Sprint (2016), Make Time (2018) and Click (2025) with Jake Knapp, previously a design partner at GV and designer at YouTube and Google, and co-founder of Character.
John Zeratsky did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
Filter All topics · Newest first
-
Our reading
What we call irrational is the normal human approach, and products should be designed for it.
Their wordsI wish the polarity of “rational” and “irrational” were flipped, because what we call irrational is actually the normal human approach to things. “Rational” is an invention — it’s a mode we can switch into, but it’s not where we spend most of our time. By framing “irrational” as a negative, people think of it as an exception; a problem to be fixed. In reality, it’s normal. We should be clear about it, and design our systems and our products to acknowledge that.
↗Irrational is normal, so why is it phrased as a negative?johnzeratsky.com
- 4 weeks earlier
-
Their wordsFive years ago, mobile was eating everything. Today, I'm using the computer more than ever. Why? Because most of the exciting AI work is desktop centric. My favorite new AI products are desktop-only.
- 5 months earlier
-
Our reading
Hiring, fundraising, press and technology do not matter if you cannot find product-market fit.
Their wordsHiring, fundraising, press, and technology are all important, but ultimately don't matter if you can't find product-market fit.
↗7 startup lessons I have found to be truejohnzeratsky.com 1st of 3 in this piece
-
Their wordsWhen you start, focus on making something that clicks with 1 person, then 5, then 50, then 500... Before you can find product-market fit, you have you find "product-person fit."
↗7 startup lessons I have found to be truejohnzeratsky.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
-
Our reading
A founder's ability to make high-context, intuition-rich decisions is an advantage over incumbents.
Their wordsIn fact, as a founder, your ability to make high-context, intuition-rich decisions is one of your advantages over incumbents.
↗7 startup lessons I have found to be truejohnzeratsky.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 4 weeks earlier
-
Their wordsHere's something I believe: Every new product is just a hypothesis until you test it.
↗Every product is just a hypothesis until you test itjohnzeratsky.com 1st of 2 in this piece
-
Their wordsBut most founders don't clearly identify and test their hypotheses, and as a result, they fail quickly or slowly.
↗Every product is just a hypothesis until you test itjohnzeratsky.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 3 months earlier
-
Our reading
Strategy requires hard decisions and tradeoffs: you cannot do everything or serve everyone.
Their wordsWhen I read Good Strategy Bad Strategy, I remember thinking that strategy requires making hard decisions and tradeoffs. You can’t do everything. You can’t serve everyone.
↗Two lessons from Good Strategy Bad Strategyjohnzeratsky.com
- 9 years earlier
-
Their wordsBut I find the daily news distracting. It steals my attention away from the important projects and people in my life. And it’s mostly unnecessary.
↗Why I ignore the daily news and read The Economist instead (and how you can too)johnzeratsky.com